Moving to Spain for work, study, or a long-term stay can be an exciting milestone. However, navigating the visa paperwork is not as fun.

One document that frequently complicates the process is the medical certificate for a Spanish visa. You may assume that the Spanish Consulate will accept a standard doctor’s note, only to discover that it has specific requirements that your doctor may be unfamiliar with.

This post explains what these requirements are and how to get your medical certificate ready for a Spanish visa application.

TL;DR: Medical certificate requirements for a Spanish visa

Here’s a quick rundown of the medical certificate requirements when applying for a Spanish visa:

  • Medical examination: Must be done by a registered doctor. The certificate must have a wet-ink signature and stamp from the doctor.

  • Certificate wording: Must include the exact legal wording referencing the International Health Regulations.

  • Recency: Typically less than 3 months old at the time you submit it.

  • Apostille: You must legalise the UK-issued medical certificate for use in Spain by getting an FCDO apostille.

  • Translation: The authorities typically require a sworn Spanish translation.

We at London Apostille Services Ltd can help you with the apostille and translation processes.

We’ll review your medical certificate to ensure it meets the FCDO requirements for an apostille, submit it to the FCDO Legalisation Office, and collect it when it is ready. We’ll then arrange for the apostilled document to be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.

Request a no-obligation quote to prepare your medical certificate for a Spanish visa application.

Checklist of medical certificate requirements for a Spanish visa

Why a standard UK doctor’s note will fail the Spanish visa check

Usually, when you get a standard UK doctor’s note for travel purposes, it states that you’re in good health and fit to travel. For a Spanish visa application, this is not enough.

The Consulate is not looking for a general statement about your health. Instead, it requires your medical certificate to confirm that you do not suffer from any disease that could have serious public health implications.

If the required text referencing the International Health Regulations is missing, it may reject even a genuine medical certificate. As such, you must ensure your doctor includes the exact wording required by the Spanish authorities.

The non-negotiable text your Spanish visa medical certificate must include

The text is not arbitrary, as it is directly tied to Spanish immigration rules. The authorities explicitly state that your doctor must formulate the medical certificate in the following (or similar) terms:

  • “This health certificate states that Mr/Mrs/Ms (Name) does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with what is stipulated by the International Health Regulations of 2005.”

Additionally, before leaving the doctor’s appointment, we recommend you verify the following:

  • The doctor’s details and signature are present

  • The doctor’s signature is registered with the FCDO

  • The date is correct (there’s a 3-month expiry window)

Also, confirm that the name on the medical certificate matches the one on your passport exactly.

Which Spanish visas require a medical certificate?

You can expect any long-term stay in Spain (90+ days) to require a health certificate.

Therefore, the following visas require a health/medical certificate:

Non-lucrative visa

Spain typically grants the non-lucrative visa (LNV) to individuals who can finance their stay without working in the country.

Qualifying individuals include:

  • Retirees

  • Remote income earners

  • Financially independent persons

You’ll need a medical certificate for the Spanish non-lucrative visa.

Student visa

The student visa applies if you’re going to Spain for an academic program longer than 90 days.

It applies to all long-term students, including:

  • University students

  • Language school students

  • Exchange program participants

Spain’s study visa requirements require that you obtain a medical certificate.

Other residence and work routes

Generally, if you’re going to stay or work in Spain long-term, you’ll need a medical certificate to secure the necessary visa.

The visa categories that apply include:

  • Residence permits

  • Family reunification visas

  • Digital nomad visas

  • Golden visas for investors

  • Traditional employee visas or work permits

How to get your medical certificate ready for a Spanish visa

Although there are several requirements for preparing a medical certificate for a Spanish visa, the process is straightforward once you understand what’s needed.

Here are the steps to ensure Spanish authorities accept your certificate:

Step 1: Book an appointment with a GP or private doctor

Your medical certificate must be prepared by a GP or private doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).

Also, because the certificate must be legalised for use outside the UK (see step 3), the doctor or GP must also be registered with the FCDO.

Therefore, the first step is to seek the services of a GMC- and FCDO-registered doctor.

If you need a Spanish medical certificate, we have partnered with ZoomDoc, they specialise in Spanish medical certificates and all their doctors are GMC and FCDO registered.

Step 2: Confirm the certificate uses the wording Spain requires

Given that the Spanish Consulate will check for the non-negotiable text we discussed earlier, you should explicitly request the custom wording.

Review the certificate before leaving the doctor’s office to confirm it uses the required language. Also, confirm the name and date are correct.

Step 3: Apostille the certificate through the FCDO

For Spanish authorities to accept your UK-issued medical certificate, it must be legalised for international use.

Since Spain is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, legalising UK documents for Spain involves getting an apostille certificate from the FCDO.

The FCDO will check the credentials of the issuing doctor against their database. If the details match, it issues an apostille verifying the authenticity of the signature and stamp appearing on the medical certificate.

Step 4: Order a sworn Spanish translation

Because Spanish authorities require supporting documents in Spanish, you must have the apostilled medical certificate translated into Spanish.

You cannot use self-translations or standard corporate translations. It must be done professionally.

For this reason, London Apostille Services Ltd works with fully qualified sworn translators for our apostille translation service.

We also manage the prior FCDO legalisation step for you, offering:

  • Document review before submission to the FCDO for an apostille.

  • An expedited service where your apostille can be ready the next working day (Express Service) or within 3 to 4 days (Standard Service).

  • In-person pickup at our London office or secure return delivery by Royal Mail or DHL.

Ready to prepare your medical certificate for a Spanish visa application?

Use our medical certificate legalisation service for both the apostille processing and sworn translation processes.

Common compliance errors that invalidate your health certificate

You want to avoid common pitfalls that may cause the FCDO or Spanish authorities to reject your health certificate.

  • Missing signature or stamp: The FCDO cannot legalise your document if it doesn’t have the signature and stamp of the issuing doctor. Confirm both are present.

  • Lack of required wording: Spanish authorities strictly enforce the non-negotiable text we discussed earlier. If your doctor cannot provide a customised note, look for a specialised private provider.

  • “Expired” certificate: While a medical certificate does not have an expiry date, the Consulate will not accept one more than 3 months old. Ensure the certificate is recent.

Why we insist on an FCDO-registered doctor when the official guidance doesn’t mention it

Neither GOV.UK nor the BLS visa centre tells you to check whether your doctor is registered with the FCDO. Because of this omission, some clients understandably ask why we insist on it — a few assume we’ve got the rules wrong. We haven’t. The requirement comes from the Spanish authorities, not from us.

It matters because of how document legalisation works:

  • What Spain requires: The Spanish authorities want the apostille to verify the signature of the doctor who examined you and issued the certificate — not anyone else’s.

  • Why FCDO registration matters: The FCDO can only issue an apostille against a signature it holds on record. If your doctor isn’t registered, the FCDO cannot apostille their signature.

  • Why the usual workaround fails: For most documents with unregistered signatures, a solicitor or notary certifies the document and the FCDO apostilles their signature instead. Spain doesn’t accept this for medical certificates. The apostille would verify the solicitor, not the doctor who examined you, and the Consulate will reject it.

We’ve raised this gap in the official guidance with the relevant bodies, in writing and in person, and they’ve yet to update it. So we check your doctor’s registration before anything else — confirming it now is far cheaper than having your certificate rejected later.

Managing the strict 3-month expiry window and processing timelines

Because the certificate has a shelf life of 3 months from the day your doctor signs it, you must manage the visa processing timeline carefully.

Here’s how:

  • You’ll typically need an ACRO certificate to apply for a Spanish visa. Because obtaining the certificate may take weeks, start the criminal record check process first.

  • Avoid applying for an FCDO apostille yourself, as the DIY legalisation stage alone will likely take you 3+ weeks. Instead, use our expedited apostille service.

Timeline showing how to manage the three-month validity period of a Spanish visa medical certificate

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about obtaining a medical certificate for a Spanish visa application.

You can obtain a medical certificate for a Spanish visa from a registered UK doctor, including your NHS GP or a private medical clinic – but only if the doctor is FCDO-registered.

If you need a Spanish medical certificate, we have partnered with ZoomDoc, they specialise in Spanish medical certificates and all their doctors are GMC and FCDO registered.

No, the medical certificate required by the Spanish authorities is not the same as a general certificate of good health. It must include specific wording referencing the International Health Regulations of 2005.

You must submit the original certificate, as the apostille will be affixed to it with the doctor’s wet-ink signature.

Working with the original also reduces the risk that the FCDO rejects your document. Such a rejection can delay your ability to meet the 3-month expiry window.

Spanish authorities require that the medical certificate be issued no more than 3 months before the date of your visa application.

Let us help prepare your Spanish visa documents

Trying to coordinate the entire process of preparing your documents for a Spanish visa application can be a logistical headache. You have to obtain a compliant medical certificate, have it apostilled, and ensure the apostilled document is professionally translated.

We can take most of these tasks off your plate as follows:

  • We’ll review your medical certificate to confirm it meets the requirements of Spanish authorities and that the signing doctor is registered with the FCDO.

  • We’ll prepare and submit your Spanish visa documents (including an ACRO certificate) to the FCDO for an apostille.

  • We’ll collect the apostilled documents, then arrange for sworn translations

  • Our process ensures that all your supporting documents are prepared quickly and correctly for the visa application process.

Get an instant quote covering the legalisation of all the UK documents you need for Spain.